photo credit: Shiv Majmudar
It’s never too late to look ahead. We’ve left 2024 behind, and since it’s a new year, there is a new column. I try to keep everything as up to date as possible, so it makes sense that the first issue of 2025 will be about what I anticipate in 2025. These are not reviews per se, but rather an overview of films I am excited about in 2025. From reboots of childhood classics to superhero flicks, here are five films I can’t wait to watch in 2025.
A Minecraft Movie
Look, I never played the game as a kid. But from the way I’ve heard people talk about it, I sense this will be a blast at the box office. Although plot details are being kept under wraps (like a lot of the movies on the list), it appears that moviegoers can expect a film set in the Minecraft Universe. Do you remember the Mario Bros movie back in 2023? Perhaps this will be similar to that, although done with a much popular game. It has plenty of star power to boast as well – Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge and Jack Black are some highlights. Whether it ends up being a CGI-splattered mess or a fun kid-friendly movie that becomes a surprise hit of 2025, I anticipate that it will be a movie that many will flock to when it comes out.
How to Train Your Dragon
This summer, we get a brand-new version of a childhood classic. I suspect that most people who watch this movie will come because of the nostalgia value. The classic animated version is a fun romp filled with Vikings, dragon slayers and humor. Director Dean DeBlois (who I have not heard of until now) is responsible with bringing the adventure to the big screen, this time with real actors and a CGI Toothless. Regardless of how this turns out, I can guarantee one thing. It will make a lot of cash. Let’s hope it becomes as beloved as the original.
Superman
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s. . . another superhero movie?
Okay, let’s stop being cynical. I’m hopeful about the next “Superman” film because it will not be imitating Henry Cavill’s version of the character. I like Cavill, don’t get me wrong, but I expect this film to take the character back to its optimistic, joyful and timeless self. David Corenswet will play the titular character in the film, which is directed by James Gunn. Apparently, it will focus on the lives of Lois Lane and Clark Kent. I’ve always believed that applying the gritty, “Dark Knight Trilogy” style to Superman is an intrinsically bad move. Batman is a dark and shadowy character. But Superman? He’s from another planet, came down in a spaceship and wears a ridiculous red, white and yellow bodysuit. Giving the character a chance to redefine itself as the campy, iconic American hero we know and love him to be is a big reason why I’m curious about a new “Superman” movie.
Mickey17
“Parasite” director Bong Joon-ho returns in 2025 with a sci-fi film about a disposable employee whose body regenerates with previous memories intact every time he dies, on his mission to colonize a distant world. Sounds a bit surreal and ridiculous but leave it to Joon-ho to pull it off. I have high expectations for this. Think about “Groundhog Day” but with a sci-fi twist, similar to how “Happy Death Day” applied that idea to a slasher. Robert Pattinson stars as the lead. The trailer looks good, so let’s hope the movie is as inventive and compelling as it promises to be.
The Monkey
Oz Perkins – the guy who made “Longlegs,” a terrific film – is back with his adaptation of a relatively unknown Stephen King short story of the same name. King adaptations breed like rabbits, and there’s probably been a new one each year since 1976. But the reason why this one might be worth a watch is because of two reasons: first, Oz Perkins is one of the most promising directors in horror, with his 2024 satanic horror film “Longlegs” achieving critical acclaim. Second, it’s a killer toy monkey! Isn’t that fun? It sure sounds good to me.
The premise involves two twin brothers who find their father’s vintage toy monkey in the attic, and, in classic horror movie fashion, the mysterious old inanimate object goes on a bloody killing spree. It may sound cliché, but from what I’m hearing, it promises to be a gory, fun screamfest in theaters. I’d much rather watch “The Monkey” than another horror remake like “Saw XI” or “M3GAN 2.0,” both of which are coming to theaters this year. I’m stoked to check it out.
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